We've Moved!

Portland's "Lose the Training Wheels" program, a week-long camp that helps kids with disabilities learn to ride regular bicycles, now has a name and a website of our own! Please link here to Bike First! The Portland, Oregon affiliate of "Lose the Training Wheels."

Registration is now open for 2009 camps!

Eli bridges the gap

Left out.

That's how Eli felt watching his neighborhood friends -- some of them younger than he was -- zooming up and down the street on their bikes. All Eli needed to get up on a two-wheeler was a little extra help ... and he found it at "Lose the Training Wheels."

During this week-long bicycle clinic, held annually in Portland, Ore., Eli and dozens of other youngsters quickly developed the coordination and confidence they need, in a safe and positive environment. (In fact, Eli was up and riding in just two days.)

Two months after "Lose the Training Wheels," Eli and his mother took part in the annual Providence Bridge Pedal, a 14-mile, six-bridge tour of downtown Portland. Here is our proud pedaler at the top of the Marquam Bridge.

"Learning to ride gave Eli a very big dose of self-esteem," said his mom. "We're very grateful to the Lose the Training Wheels clinic."

Look Who's Rolling Now !

After only two days of bike week, kids are already feeling confident and building their balance and motor control so they will be fully independent by the end of the week. Carson's face beams with pride as she gleefully navigates her way around the gymnasium of Concordia University.

Sue Harrington and her daughter, Angel, are back this year from Southern California to work as our Floor Supervisor and assistant. Sue's many years experience with a number of clinics is instrumental in smoothing organizational logistics and keeping the training effective. Walt is also back, as our ever-handy mechanic. His deep expertise in vital to keep bikes in tip-top condition.

Keep checking back for daily updates on who lost those training wheels!

Easter Seals Offers their Fantastic Support

Easter Seals Oregon has graciously added Lose the Training Wheels to the "What's New" page in their most recent newsletter. Stop by and check out all the wonderful programs that Easter Seals has to offer. While you're there, please make a generous donation to the Lose the Training Wheels program. Your support will allow even more children to experience the joy, confidence and health benefits of bike riding.


Thank you, Easter Seals!

Donations Make it All Possible
Click here to help now!

Remember what it felt like when you learned to ride a bike? First a little tentative, then you "got it" and were unstoppable! Confident and free with the breeze in your face, the blur of blacktop under your wheels -- you felt invincible. Without this clinic, many children with cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome and other disabilities would never experience that rite of passage. An impassioned belief in inclusion fuels our desire to see that ALL children experience the exhilarating bike riding. Over sixty children with disabilities will participate in this year's camp, more than double the number from last year. Volunteers from all corners of the region, compassionate businesses, and caring individuals all pull together to bestow this gift upon some of our most inspiring citizens. This program has already helped over 2,000 children in 30 cities. Click this link to make a tax-deductible donation through Easter Seals Oregon. Your support will allow even more children to experience the joy of learning to ride a bike.

Thank you.

P.s. If your employer matches, please remember to follow your organization's matching gift process.

I've been trying for years to teach my child to ride

How is this approach different?
Dr. Richard Klein, a retired engineering professor from the University of Illinois, in Urbana, has been studying, designing and teaching about bikes and the dynamics of bike riding for many years. He designed these camps to provide a focused learning experience for children with special needs, using specially designed bikes and teaching methods. Klein opened his first camp in Illinois nine years ago and today has 36 camps across 18 states.

"Training wheels are rigid and stiff and a child doesn't learn what to do properly when they're on training wheels. This bike uses a roller. By having that roller either on the front, on the rear, or both, the bicycle will tip slowly and we can tame it down," said Dr. Klein.

In these camps, children who have a history of difficulty learning to ride a two-wheeler can incrementally learn the sensation of balance and leave the training wheels behind, usually within the one-week session. The bikes have the same dynamic qualities as a standard two-wheeler, but provide extra stability to allow kids additional time to master the skills needed to balance and steer a bike.

"Because if you go from training wheels to a regular bike, that's a dramatic one-step jump ... when we make it into a lot of little steps, they're manageable and these kids do very well."

As a child progresses, they ride increasingly challenging bikes, until they are riding regular two-wheelers.

What bike should I buy?

Let's cut to the chase.
Let me preface this by saying that I don't work for the company and I have nothing to gain here. That being said, the best bike is the Electra "Townie." It looks like a regular bike but is designed with something they call "Flat Foot Technology". Think of a Big Wheel with two wheels instead of three. Because of the lower center of gravity and forward pedal mechanism, when your child drops their feet off the pedals, they land securely on the ground. The bike comes in "boy" and "girl" versions with lots of customization options. I got my son's at Bike Gallery. Because he did not yet have the strength to be successful in bike clinic, I also got him a stationary trainer that his bike attached to so he could pedal in front of a mirror and race against himself. After a year of this, combined with other private training, now he's ready to fly.